1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an air diffuser for regulating and directing the flow of conditioned air from a supply duct or ventilation system into a room or other adjoining space; and, more specifically, a closable floor diffuser having a unitary valve assembly, improving and simplifying the diffuser construction.
2. Related Art
Air diffusers are commonly used to control the flow of conditioned air from an air duct into a room. A typical air duct extends from a heating/cooling unit and terminates in an outlet at the interior surface of a structural panel, such as a floor, wall or ceiling. The duct outlet is enclosed by the air diffuser.
Contemporary air diffusers generally comprise a housing having one portion that is sized to be received within the duct outlet while extending through the structural panel and another portion that overlies a portion of the structural panel surrounding the panel opening and air duct outlet. Air is generally diffused by a constriction of the air passage through the diffuser, often in the form of a plurality of alternating ribs and openings.
Many contemporary air diffusers have a series of openings or vents that are closable by a moveable valve assembly to control the flow of conditioned air into the room. The moveable valve assembly can include a fixed grid and a moveable grid. Each grid is formed by a series of alternating ribs and openings. In the open position, the openings of each grid are aligned. In the closed position, the ribs of one grid are aligned with the openings of the other grid.
Another common moveable valve assembly includes a plurality of generally planar rotatable vanes, each having a longitudinal shaft, so they may be rotatably mounted within opposing openings, transversely aligned to the direction of air flow, in the air diffuser face. The vanes are then rotated about their shaft, from a generally parallel configuration, allowing maximum air flow, to a generally coplanar configuration, producing maximum constriction of the air flow. The vanes are generally planar, as stated above, but may display some degree of curvature transverse to their longitudinal axis.
The prior art air diffusers are relatively complex in the number of parts, the movement of parts, and their assembly. Given that, in general, air diffusers are mass produced products, any reduction in the assembly time and complexity, such as reducing the number of parts, results in a significant improvement in cost. There is a continuing need to reduce the cost of these articles.